Yves Klein (French, 1928 - 1962)
VENUS BLUE, 1961
Blue pigment on plaster

Yves Klein was a pivotal figure in both American and European post-War art. Klein was not only a founding member of the French "New Realists" movement, the precursor to American Pop Art, he is also credited with being the father of "Happenings" and other performance-based arts. His signature color, the deep, luminous, powdery blue found on VÉNUS BLEUE, is a color Klein associated with awakening one's spiritual energy. In homage to him, the color is often referred to as IKB "International Klein blue." Klein's work may be found in the collections of the Moderna Museet, Stockholm, the Menil Collection, Houston, and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.